The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Nyesom Wike has named himself the most experienced politician in Rivers State since 1999.

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State spoke on Saturday during a special media chat in Port Harcourt, while reacting to Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s return to his (Wike) political family.

Wike said those who allegedly deceived the governor into engaging in a face-off with him, have nothing good to add to the development of the state.

“I was a governor in the state and I know all these people. In fact, there is no politician in the state today that is more experienced than me.

“From 1999, I can say that I am the most experienced politician that is still on”, he said.

The Minster had earlier accused four politicians in the state of allegedly misleading the governor in the protracted political crisis that rocked the state since 2023.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has directed commission officials to give priority attention to elderly voters during the August 15, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

Amupitan gave this directive on Saturday while inspecting the mock accreditation exercise across Osun State as part of preparations for the election.

The INEC chairman commended the inspection at Polling Unit 1, Ward 1, Post Office, St. Peter’s Primary School, Ibokun, in Obokun Local Government Area, where he monitored the operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and interacted with voters and election officials.

He later visited polling units Olorunsogo, Egbedore Local Government Area, Ibokun in Obokun Local Government Area and Ogo-Oluwa in Osogbo Local Government Area to assess the performance of the BVAS devices during the mock accreditation exercise.

At Olorunsogo Polling Unit 4, some voters reported a temporary malfunction of the BVAS device, which briefly delayed accreditation before INEC technical officials restored the machine to normal operation.

Speaking after the issue was resolved, a voter, Ayodele Samuel Abiodun, said, “The BVAS was not working well at first, but the officials quickly fixed the problem and accreditation continued without further delay. We appreciate INEC for responding promptly.”

The exercise also showed that both old and newly issued Permanent Voter Cards were successfully authenticated by the BVAS after the temporary glitch was resolved.

INEC said the mock accreditation was organised to test the functionality of the devices, identify possible technical issues and strengthen public confidence ahead of the Osun State governorship election.

The INEC chairman said, “So far, I have been to four polling units. My assessment so far is that we are happy that the machines are working ahead of the election.

“This is a mock accreditation, and the essence of the mock accreditation is to ensure that our tools, our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), will work on the election day.

“And from what I have seen, I am happy that the BVAS are working.

“The initial problem that was encountered has to do with the old cards and when the complaints were laid we were able to solve that problem. As you have seen from here , the old card is now working , the new cards too are working.

“That is the essence of this accreditation, so that we don’t run into this problem during the election day. The ICT Director has confirmed that the problem is solved for good.”

Commending the election personnel, Amupitan praised their professionalism and urged them to maintain the same level of commitment during the August 15 governorship election.

He also reminded all election officials to arrive at their assigned polling units by 7:00 a.m. on election day to ensure adequate preparations before voting begins at 8:30 a.m.

Amupitan also held discussions with ad-hoc staff, seeking updates on the accreditation process and asking whether they had encountered any operational challenges while conducting the exercise.

The officials informed him that the BVAS devices were operating efficiently, explaining that facial biometric verification took about one minute, particularly for voters presenting newly issued Permanent Voter Cards.

They further stated that no major technical challenges had been recorded at the polling unit, adding that the accreditation process was progressing smoothly.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has revealed why he opposed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term bid, saying he chose to defend Nigeria’s Constitution and democracy over personal loyalty.

Atiku, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said Obasanjo’s latest public comments about him were an attempt to rewrite history.

He said the former President’s hostility towards him stemmed largely from his opposition to the controversial third-term agenda during the Obasanjo administration.

Atiku said he was proud to have stood against the move, insisting that his decision was based on his commitment to Nigeria’s Constitution and democratic principles.

“I am proud that I stood against the third-term agenda. I am proud that I stood by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition.

“If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge of honour. No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution is supreme, and I chose Nigeria over personal loyalty,” he said.

Atiku noted that the struggle against the third-term agenda was never about two individuals but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional democracy for future generations.

“The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict.”

The former Vice President said it was unfortunate that the same man whose unconstitutional ambition was resisted now seeks to sit in judgment over those who defended the Constitution.

Atiku said it was particularly instructive that barely twenty-four hours before Chief Obasanjo’s latest outburst, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, publicly paid glowing tribute to the economic management team he led, describing it as “the best Nigeria has ever had”.

“Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for Nigerians to judge. What is beyond dispute, however, is that while distinguished Nigerians who served at the highest levels continue to acknowledge my contributions to one of Nigeria’s most successful periods of economic management, Chief Obasanjo appears determined to diminish them.

“Chief Obasanjo may choose not to appreciate my role in building one of Nigeria’s most prosperous economic eras, but history has been far kinder. The record speaks for itself, and so do the testimonies of those who worked closely with that administration,” he added.

Atiku further stated that Nigerians also deserve to remember the other side of history which Chief Obasanjo conveniently omits.

“History records that while Chief Obasanjo was in prison, I stood firmly by him. I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his freedom.

“When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing. Beyond that, I mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the ADC presidential candidate said.

Atiku said he harbours no regrets over any of those acts.

He said, “Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions.”